The Place Where We Found Love
by La Banane
Summary: Gal pals galore. Forgive me.
1. Trashh

I blinked once in an attempt to give myself time to process the words that had flown out of my mouth.

"There's no way you're serious."

I could hear Kumiko's worried smile from behind me somehow. While struggling to keep my face neutral, I continued. Everything seemed to spill from my lips. My words were enunciated by the sharp pain on the heels of my feet. The hem of my dress swished quietly in the wind. It almost seemed to be hushing me, telling me that Kumiko would be scared off. My mouth stubbornly continued its rampant confessions as our long hike continued. I could feel my heart thumping insistently in my chest, urging me to continue. The moon's stolen light filtered through the leaves where we stopped.

The lights from the festival and beyond glittered prettily before my eyes. My panicking conscious numbed felt as I continued to gaze at the scene. My heart, however, did not still.

 _It's a confession of love_. _(I love you.)_

 _You have a terrible personality. (I love you.)_

 _(I love you. I love you. I love you.)_

I looked at Kumiko and again came to realize that she was beautiful. The glances she threw at me had always made me want to kiss her. The way she smiled had always made me want to embrace her and never let go. No matter what I said, Kumiko always seemed to at least try to understand me. She made me feel safe. I turned my head back toward the town.

"K-Kousaka-" she began.

I interrupted her by lightly touching her forehead with the tip of my index finger.

"Rei-na," I corrected.

Before I realized it, I'd began to speak again.

I absentmindedly ran my finger down to Kumiko's lips, then flicked downwards. They were soft. I laughed at my own stupidity, my own unmitigated temerity. Love truly could drive one mad.

"What are we playing?" Kumiko asked, moving her mouthpiece to the side of her face.

I stared at her as she licked her lips.

"The one we played in middle-school, third year, at the farewell party,"

"That one?" Kumiko said, surprise at the edge of her tone.

I tugged my hair out of my ponytail and nodded.

"I like it."

Kumiko smiled; I felt my heart skip a beat. Taking a deep breath, we began our duet. We met eyes, and to my great relief, Kumiko mouthed words during her rest that made me want to drop my trumpet to kiss her.

 _"And I like you."_

She was the place where I found love.

A/N "Ai wo Mitsuketa Basho" is the title of the song that is played by Kumiko and Reina at the end of episode 8. It means "The place where we found love," which is so... *squeals loudly* Anyway, excuse me while I rewatch that episode 50 more times.


	2. Trashy

Reina found her eyes drawn to her again. Kumiko sat in front of Reina, absentmindedly miming fingerings in the air. She murmured notes at random moments in the silence. Reina leaned back with a short huff of a sigh. There was no denying her feelings. If her quickened pulse wasn't enough of a give away, the constant glances were plenty. Reina had never intended to say anything about it, but apparently her long speech had been taken as a confession of love. Reina still remembered yesterday's events rather vividly.

She was being confronted by Kumiko as she walked home.

"Reina!"

Reina stopped mid-stride.

"Yes?"

"Can we talk for a bit?"

Reina was confused, to say the least. Kumiko was clearly about to explode from her thoughts.

She sat down on a park bench a respectful half of a meter away from Kumiko. It was rather dark that day; the sky was shrouded in clouds bulging from the weight of the inevitable rain to come. Reina turned at the sound of Kumiko's sharp exhale of breath.

"I know that..." Kumiko paused and met Reina's eyes, a light blush dusting her face,

"I know that we haven't been on the best of terms."

"We haven't?" thought Reina absent-mindedly.

"I've been avoiding you a little bit actually, but you knew that already," Kumiko sighed.

"Wait, what?" Reina's mind cranked into action, although her face remained totally neutral.

Yes, she'd felt _some_ tension around Kumiko, but that tension had always been there in Reina's head.

"Are you okay, Kumiko?" Reina asked gently.

Kumiko shook her head ever-so-slightly.

"I think..." Kumiko's trembling voice stopped mid-sentence.

Reina stayed silent, listening.

"I think I love you."

 _Quoi?_

"I'm sorry... I just needed to get it off of my chest," Kumiko looked away.

 _Quoi?_

"Kumiko-" Reina began.

"It hurts, Reina," Kumiko's voice cracked, "It really hurts."

Reina panicked internally. Comforting wasn't her forté.

She scooched closer to hug Kumiko awkwardly from the side. Even though Kumiko's limbs were jabbing her, it felt strangely comfortable.

"I don't really know what to say..." Reina murmured.

Kumiko sniffled and turned to hug Reina. With a short, conflicted sigh, Reina leaned her head into Kumiko's shoulder.

When Reina spoke, her voice was barely audible.

"I don't understand you at all. I don't understand why you told me this. I don't understand your feelings," Reina began. Kumiko quietly hiccuped.

"I've always felt so _tense_ around you, almost as if I want something to happen. I don't know what that is," Reina held Kumiko tightly.

"When you're with me, everything seems a bit better. I don't know why. I feel..." Reina grasped for the word, "frustrated. None of this makes sense to me."

Reina lifted her head to meet Kumiko's teary eyes and found herself wiping away a drop from her face.

"All I know is that, as uncomfortable as you make me, what you just said," Reina smiled, "made me so happy."

"I thought you hated me," Kumiko said.

"I thought I was being normal," Reina replied.

"I should've stayed quiet, this is ridiculous," Kumiko whispered quite loudly, moving away to cover her face with her hands.

Reina shivered slightly from the loss of Kumiko's embrace.

"Let's hug more," Reina said, "I'm cold."

"You're killing me, Reina," Kumiko muttered.

Nonetheless, she wrapped her arms around Reina again, this time with conviction.

"I love you," Kumiko said.

"I know," Reina deadpanned.

"I think you love me too," Kumiko said.

 _Quoi?_

"What?" Reina stared in shock at Kumiko's face. They both blushed.

"You don't?" Kumiko asked dejectedly.

"I do- I don't _know_!" Reina stammered.

"I just wanted a hug! Right? Right!" Reina's mind was in turmoil. She knew that there was a part of her that wanted to do more than hug. _Hand holding._

Reina blushed more at the thought.

"I'm about to do something really stupid if you don't reject me in three seconds," Kumiko huffed.

"But-"

"Two..."

"What are you-"

"One..."

"Kumiko?"

Kumiko pressed a quick kiss against Reina's lips. It was soft.

Reina stared at Kumiko, who was now wearing a face of terror.

This was confusing.

"Try that again," Reina said.

"What?"

"Kiss me."

Kumiko gave Reina an incredulous look.

"You do it, my heart can't handle this."

Kumiko clearly expected nothing. Kumiko was wrong.

Reina linked her hands around the back of Kumiko's neck and pulled her in. Everything felt light. The kiss grew less than chaste after a solid minute. Playing brass was useful.

Nothing made sense that afternoon.

Love is weird.

 **A/N: this was written after a stressful exam with writer's block crushing my soul. (what is love? baby) don't hurt me (no more).**


End file.
